


Still Just a Rat in a Cage

by lucky7girl



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-09
Updated: 2013-02-09
Packaged: 2017-11-28 16:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/676681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucky7girl/pseuds/lucky7girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this to prove that the whole "Waycest" thing is a matter of perception. There is a lot of physical affection between the two, but if you pay close attention, none of it is inappropriate. (At least is isn't anything I wouldn't engage in with my own sisters). In the story, Mikey has a ghost in his room and Gerard won't believe him until one night...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Just a Rat in a Cage

The September wind howled loudly as Mikey took the steps down to the basement door one by one, small branches snapping beneath his boots. It was all but dark and a the only light was the one that shone out through the door he was nearing. And even it wasn't much. He tried the door handle, praying it wouldn't be locked. To his relief the door budged and he pushed against it with all 130 pounds of his weight. He crept inside, trying to stay as silent as he could, and inched over to where his older brother was sound asleep in his bed. He could hear him breathing steadily, his black hair was covering half his face. Mikey kicked off his boots and inched out of his jean, and still in his boxers and t-shirt, slipped into bed with Gerard, careful not to wake him. Whew. He hadn't been caught. Or so he thought. He heard a noise from the of of the stairs, and a light switched on. He held his breath when the footsteps got nearer to the stairs to the basement, and then someone started down the stairs. Mikey was too scared to breath. He pretended to be asleep, still holding his breath until the footsteps stopped near the bottom of the stairs.

 

"Mikey," he heard his dad yell. "That you? You better not have been late again."

 

Mikey started shaking and he felt an arm embrace him and he started to relax. It seemed like a hour before his dad turned and headed back up staire, assuming Mikey was asleep. He let out the breath he was holding and folded his arms over his chest. He was still shaking with fear.

 

"It's okay, Mikey, how was your movie?" Gerard asked him, whispering. Mikey didn't answer him. Gerard could tell he was petrified and he wrapped both arms around him and pulled him closer, and kissed him on the forehead.

 

"He's gone, now. Relax," Gerard said, still holding him close to his body. He could feel Mikey's ragged breath on his bare chest. He smoothed Mikey's hair back whispered into his ear again. "He's gone. It's okay. He think's you're asleep."

 

Gerard held him close until his breathing became regular, smoothing his soft brown, wavy hair back away from his face and singing "Bullet with a Butterfuly Wing" to him as he drifted off to sleep. It always made Mikey feel better when his older brother sang to him, especially if it was that song. He sounded just like Billy Corgan when he sang it.

 

"You can go to your room now," Gerard said.

 

Mikey shook his head and his breathing immediately became more labored.

 

"Don't tell me it happened again, Mikey, I don't know what's going on with you anymore.

 

"It was yesterday afternoon," Mikey finally spoke. "I wasn't even in my room, but I know I had shut my closet door. It latched. I remember it. I looked in there and it was wide open. I went in to close it again, but the door wouldn't budge. It's never stuck before, and when I went back in there five minutes later it closed right up."

 

 

Gerard didn't want to argue with his little brother. He didn't know what to think about the closet door, and the other things Mikey had been telling him about, but Mikey had been through so much lately, he didn't feel like arguing with him. Didn't want to make it worse. So he kissed him gently on the cheek and gave him a hug and told him to go to sleep and they'd talk more about it in the morning.

 

The morning sun shining through the only basement window woke Gerard from a dead sleep. He looked to his left and Mikey was gone. He yawned and stretched and immediately smelled the aroma of fresh coffee coming from upstairs. He dressed and ran up the stairs two at a time to the kitchen where Mikey was pouring creamer in his coffee. Gerard reached around him, brushing against his arm, to grab the hot coffee pot to pour himself a cup. He sat down at the table and started flipping though the morning paper, not really reading anything.

 

"What are you doing today," Mikey asked Gerard. Gerard was hoping Mikey had made plans with his friends and wouldn't be tagging along with him this afternoon, only because Gerard's friend Trent wasn't that fond of Mikey and the feeling was mutual. Still he invited his brother to hang out with him, as he personally didn't mind his company.

 

"Hanging out with some friends this afternoon. We may go the New Silver Key Tavern. There's a live band going to be there tonight, I'd like to see. Why what are you doing?"

"No plans," Mikey said. "Can I hang out with you guys?"

 

"Sure," Gerard answered, not looking up from his paper."

 

"Is Trent going to be there?" Mikey asked, turning to look at his older brother.

 

"Yeah. He won't bother you." Gerard said.

 

Mikey looked down and contemplated the idea for a moment and then finished his coffee and quietly left the kitchen.

 

The afternoon sun faded into the trees behind the house and Gerard called to Mikey, who was downstairs in his brother's bedroom playing video games, letting him know he was leaving to meet his friends shortly. Mikey put the game up and grabbed his coat in time for his brother to reach the bottom of the stairs and start for the door. Gerard put his arm around his brother's shoulder and told him to cheer up and just have a good time, and the two left the house, arms around each other laughing at a joke Gerard had told Mikey to make him feel more relaxed. The traveled to the club in Gerard's car and met his friends, who were waiting in line to get into the theatre. Trent gave Mikey a dirty look and he inched closer to Gerard, almost hiding in his shadow. Trent looked at Gerard, as if to say, "why did you bring him again," But Gerard returned his glare with a dirty look of his own. The exchange was soon forgotten and their spirits were lifted as the roar of the crowd at the show consumed them with energy.

 

Hours later, Gerard was exhausted from getting pushed and shoved in the mosh pit and having had a few too many beers, and he decided that driving home was probably not the safest idea. Some of the guys had decided to crash at Wayne's house and even though one of them had been Trent, Gerard thought it best they stay too. They got back to Wayne's house after midnight and Gerard pulled out the bed from the couch in the basement.

 

"Is Trent saying too," Mikey asked Gerard in a whisper.

 

"Yeah, he won't bother you, Mikey." Gerard said, trying to calm him down.

 

"Can I sleep by you?" Mikey asked Gerard. Trent had once threatened Mikey with a knife after a night of drinking, and had also almost broken Mikey's nose after an arguement that went sour. After that last fight, Trent had told Mikey if he ever saw him around he would finish the job and Mikey took him seriously. Very seriously.

 

"He's not going to bother you, I promise, Mikey," Gerard said, but MIkey didn't believe him. He hadn't told Gerard Trent had almost broken his nose.

 

"Fine, lay down," Gerard said, pulling the sheet up and clearing a place for Mikey. "You know they're just going to make fun of you more," Gerard said, but Mikey didn't care. His life meant more to him than worrying about Gerard's friends making fun of him.

 

Mikey settled in on the small couch-bed, his back toward Gerard. Gerard put his arm around Mikey's shoulder and pulled him closer so he could speak softly in his ear.

 

"You just can't let them get to you, Mikey," Gerard told him. "They can be jerks, I know. I've been friends with them for a long time. But they won't hurt you. You need to stand up for yourself. I can't always be here to protect you."

 

"I know, I know," Mikey said. He didn't believe his brother, but he didn't want to argue with him. He was the only person that really understood him, accepted his faults and loved him anyway.

 

Gerard kissed him on the back of his head and let go of his shoulder, turning to lay on his other side. Mikey was cold, so he scooted his back up against Gerard, who was always hot, his body heat radiated and warmed Mikey up so he could go to sleep.

 

Mikey was in a dead sleep when Gerard shook him gently on the shoulder to arouse him. He groaned and rolled over, startled by the pair of hazel eyes that looked back at him.

 

"Let's get going," Gerard told him. Mikey didn't say a word as he put on his boots and the two headed to Gerard's car to go home. It was early in the morning and the boys wanted to be home before their parents noticed they were missing and it was easy enough for them to sneak into the basement door that they had left unlocked.

 

They took the basement steps quietly and Gerard eased the door open, not making a sound.

 

 

Gerard had just settled into bed, early tonight. He was looking forward to a good night's sleep and he had almost drifted off when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Mikey again, he assumed.

 

"What is it now, Mikey," Gerard said, as his brother inched near him. But Gerard already knew the answer to that question.

 

"Can I sleep with you again," Mikey said. "There are... noises in my room again."

 

"Mikey, I don't know what has been going on with you lately, but it's getting a little old," Gerard said as Mikey eased himself over his brother and onto the side of the bed closest to the wall.

 

Gerard grabbed his pillow and got up from the bed.

 

"Where are you going," Mikey said, exasperated.

 

"I'm going to sleep in your room," Gerard said. "So I can get a good night's sleep.

 

"By myself, without you rolling over and kneeing me in the balls. Which I actually liked, if you want to know the truth," Gerard said with an teasing grin.

 

"Shut up you pervert," Mikey said. "Why are you taking your pillow?"

 

"Because yours smells with your dried up spit," Gerard said, turning toward the stairs and going up without saying another word to Mikey.

 

Gerard stomped up the stairs, and made his way into Mikey's bedroom. He walked over to his brother's bed in the corner and settled down for the night. The room smelled like Mikey and Gerard liked that.

 

He was almost asleep when he felt his throat start to tighten. He was aware that someone was in the room with him. He tried to call out, but it was useless. His voice didn't work. He tried to move, but realized he was paralyzed. Closing his eyes, he could still see the scene as it played out before him.

 

He could feel the presense even before he could see the black figure standing at the end of the bed. Again he tried to call out but his voice failed him.

 

The shear terror gripped him by the throat as he struggled against the invisible force holding him down to the bed. His heart raced in his chest and for a minute he thought he was dying. This must be what dying feels like, Gerard thought to himself.

 

Finally he was able to move and he sprang from the bed and ran from the room, slamming the door on his way out.

 

Breathless, he took the steps down to his basement bedroom two at a time.

 

"I believe you," He said to Mikey, who had woke from the sound of his brother's footsteps. "I believe you now."

 

Gerard crawled into bed and took Mikey into his arms, kissing the back of his head as he snuggled tightly against him, scared to let him go. The slept like that all night, Mikey's back tight against his brother's stomach, neither one of the moving an inch.

 

They woke up at the same time. Gerard yawned and stretched. Then he remembered something. Today was Mikey's birthday. He had forgotten to give him his present yesterday. He had gotten him tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins at Madison Square Garden on the 17th. His first concert.

 

Gerard raced up the stairs to get the coffee started and put the tickets on the table before Mikey could see.

 

Finally Mikey emerged, sleepy but well-rested. Grateful that someone believed what was happening to him. He poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Then he saw them. The tickets. He didn't say a single word, but he got up from the table and put his arms around his brother and hugged him tighter than he'd ever hugged him before.

Madison Square Gardens September 17, 1995

"Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage..."

As the chorus rang out, Mikey was overwhelmed by the feeling he got from listening to the Billy Corgan's raw, emotional, buzzing voice and when the song was over, he turned to his brother and said, "I want that to be us up there someday."

Gerard took his hand in his and brushed Mikey's hair back from his ear with his other and said softly, "It will be. I promise you that."


End file.
